New additions to the family

We've just made some new additions to the family. No, I haven't just given birth (at my age?) - we've adopted two kittens from Cats Protection.

They might as well be babies or toddlers, though! Into everything, getting where they shouldn't, eating things that aren't food, thoroughly mischievous, cuddly and gorgeous. Like many young children, they even find the packaging more interesting than the toy - they've spent hours playing with a brown cardboard box and the inner tube from some kitchen roll.

We've been promising to take on some kittens for some while and now they're finally here, our two children are nearly beside themselves with delight and excitement. Helping them finish their homework is an almost impossible task!

Having said that, getting the children to come downstairs on time in the mornings or get themselves showered has become a cinch - though I can't vouch for how clean their faces are or how well-brushed their hair!

What's been fabulous has been the opportunity for all of us to just enjoy the kittens and live in the moment. Appreciating what's going on around us can become difficult with the busy lives we all seem to lead. Yet these kittens just demand to be given attention, looked after and cuddled. And we've all heard about the therapeutic effects of stroking pets.

We've had so much fun this week that, whilst I'm not advocating you rush out and get yourself a pet, finding someone who has a friendly cat or dog could just be the tonic you need in your busy and sometimes stressful life.